Smokers/Non smokers...

[Grandpa Bambu]

listen to this extract from wikipedia:

"Factors known to increase aromatase activity include age, obesity, insulin, gonadotropins, and alcohol. Aromatase activity is decreased by prolactin, AMH, and smoking. Aromatase activity appears to be enhanced in certain estrogen-dependent local tissue next to breast tissue, endometrial cancer, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids."

aromatase is an enzyme which (among other things) converts testosterone into oestrogen.

according to this extract, alcohol increases aromatase activity, wheras smoking decreases it.

I would be happy to smoke a little bit if it would positively affect my gynecomastia. I smoke occasionally already.

How many guys here smoke or have smoked?

I smoked for approx 12 years. Haven't smoked now in over 15 years...

Smoking didn't seem to have an affect on my gyne...

GB

[elcrep]

I smoke very occasionally -- did it have an effect? im not sure.

[seeking_relief]

Ive been smoking for years now, since i was about 17, up until now, im 23 yrs old now. I started out more as a social smoker, but as the years passed i became more dependent on it, and now im a very heavy smoker because of my severe depression. I smoke 1 3/4- 2 packs a day, depending on how bummy i feel that day i guess. I guess i have never really seen any kind of positive effect on my gyne because of smoking, and if anything, i blame my gyne on my excessive smoking. I think if i was gyne free, i would feel a lot better about myself and would be able to completely give up smoking. In a way though, this information makes me feel not as bad about smoking, if it actually decreases aromatose activity. I guess thats kind of a good thing right? hah

[elcrep]

if you dont mind me asking, is the depression directly related to your gyno?
If it is, you should really try to get the surgery. I've heard of people taking out loans and stuff. To me, it seems worth it.

[seeking_relief]

I blame 100% of my depression and all my mental disorders on gyne. I remember being a happy and healthy child up until the age of about 13, when i became extremely self conscious and depressed about my gyne. Ever since then my life has been a rollercoaster of sad feelings n emotions and deep dark depression. The smoking seems to just be getting worse and worse over the years because of it. The most saddest thing about my smoking, is that i smoke with intentions in the back of my mind to get lung cancer n emphasema and hopefully die of smoking at a young age. Ridiculous right? Most people try to quit smoking to save there health, im doing the exact opposite, i literally want smoking to kill me, how sad is that? I really don't have the same motives as everyone else to quit, so  i really have no reason to quit while i have my gyne. As for the whole personal loan thing, that sounds great and all, but right now at the moment, im living by the skin on my teeth as far as money goes, with my 2 jobs i work i still barely have enough money to pay for my ridiculous bills. I just feel ill never be able to get ahead financially with my money, and throwing another $100-250/month health loan payment into the mix of all my other monthly bills would probaly break me, and i would never be able to afford the payments. God, i hope theres a way that i can someday make this surgery happen, because im really running out of options, and i dont know how much longer i can live like this.   

[elcrep]

All I can say is that I'm really sorry to hear that, and I really genuinely hope things look up for you.

[tttdone]

hey if you give up smoking you could save at least 150 dollars a month.... thats enough to pay off a loan for surgery.. just do it dude

[seeking_relief]

wow, thats saving a lot of money actually. i never thought of it that way. But a few things just came up recently that absolutely broke me financially, so ive already made plans to quit smoking this week. I simply have to, i dont have a choice to smoke anymore, i just cant afford it now. So hopefully in the long run, itll help me save for surgery.

[Badgene]

also look at it this way.... if you ever did get to have the surgery you would have to stop smoking anyway over a month before getting surgery. then you wont be able to smoke afterwards while you are healing or you will sabatoge your nipples.

Either way you'd have to stop. might as well start now.

[Allhopeaside]

When i started saving for my surgery i refused to give up smoking just yet, until i get a surgery date and have to stop for recovery. So to save money i started buying bulk tobacco from tobacco shops and making my own. It comes out to around $1 or so a pack, if that. Just buy a big bag for like 15 bones and a little 5 dollar rolling kit and filters if you want them are like 2 dollars for about 200 or so. The cigs in their own way are "better" than mass produced ones because its just straight tobacco, not sprayed down with any extra chemicals. Just a thought.

[elcrep]

Why didn't I think of that, what a brilliant idea. Quit smoking - save the money.

Not only do you salvage your health, you get to get rid of your gynecomastia!

Logic dictates that you have to do this.

[Grandpa Bambu]

It's a Win/Win situation... 

GB

[ellington7]

Dude I understand you completely...This thing is so bad that death is very inviting sometimes, but don't do anything you won't be able to regret later.  Go into debt brother.  Get behind on some of your other bills if need be, because isn't the gyne the bulk of your lifes problems?  Sure..you want to stay on top of your bills to have good credit, but what good is credit when your too misrable to use it?  Get the damn surgery my friend and start a new life of walking down the street in t shirts without having to worry about people potentially looking at your man breasts.  Don't you want to be free?  well Im sure your looking at this post flickin my last statement off because of course you want to be free, more than anything else, but you have to make the decision.  You have to say f it and do this thing because your not getting younger, and I can garantee that those breast aren't getting any smaller......

[drok]

well i've been smoking since i was 15 and gradually increased to 1.5 pack a day. But at the same time my use of alcohol increased so as the article says that smoking cures but alcohol promots it...than that's the case with me i guess..eventually i had to stop drinking at age 22 coz the doctor that saw my test result when mad with my liver results and i'm only smoking 3-4 ciggs a day, occupational hazard ...

[elcrep]

shit. i've decided that i'm really going to cut down on drinking then. there have been some nights when i've been sooooo smashed.